Sheepy hill was a downhill gem in the heart of Wales, a hill with about half a mile of downhill into 2 switchbacks, one tricky left and a final tight right-hander that spat you out onto a gnarly bridge. The hill is surrounded by soft ferns that almost makes crashing a delight and it can be spotted by the rider from the top as you can see the next few miles of road and traffic conditions. The road was resurfaced with a classic Welsh pebble-dash coat to everyone’s horror in 2011 rendering the hill unrideable. Gradually the road has been compacted down and worn back down to its former glory (so reports have said) and it looks like a trip to Wales will be back on the cards for 2013!

This race gets me all nostalgic for the UK scene. MK-II Longboards were in their heyday, Turn360 were hiring lifeguards to paddle pintails around the south Walesian towns, Newton’s Shred were relatively new kids on the block and hi-viz was all the rage. Dave Martin even skated downhill!!